Hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous Co3O4 nanorods as high capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Mesoporous Co3O4 nanorods were successfully fabricated via hydrothermal treatment with presence of diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DDA) as the structure directing agent. The as-prepared Co3O4 exhibited a high degree of crystallization and consisted of nanorods with 0.3~2.4 μm in length and 100~150 nm in diameter. Owing to the unique properties of one dimensional micro-/nano-architecture and mesoporous structure, the as-prepared Co3O4 nanorods exhibited excellent electrochemical lithium storage capability. An initial discharge capacity of 1343.8 mAh g-1 and high capacity retention of 74.7% were achieved at a current density of 500 mAh g-1 for 200 cycles. These outstanding performances of the as-prepared Co3O4 nanorods demonstrated their great potentials in high capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries